#Also Ilya is going to get a complex. Add him in as well

[thornescratch]

Okay, very nice but I love how EVERY TIME there's an illustration like this they have to remind us that oh yes don't forget he is Married To That Swede.

[ruvviks]

>> oc name meanings

was tagged by @aartyom, thank you so much!! tagging @arklay, @morvaris, @reaperkiller, @steelport, @jillvalcntines, @swordcoasts, @faarkas, @ladybeniko, @aelyosos, @brujah, @eurodynamic, @strafethesesinners, @coffeebucko, @necro-hamster, @turbo-virgins, @adelaidedrubman, @henbased, @stacispratt, @shellibisshe, @blackreaches, @aceghosts, @awful-roffle, @furbyq, @radioactiveshitstorm, @dieselsardine and anyone else who wants to do this :D <3 rules: search and post the meaning of your ocs' names (if you made their name up or they go by a nickname, post an explanation of how it came to you)! bonus if you can find something for their last name too!

vincent >> "to conquer"

i picked this name because it's the "canon" name of male v and i really liked it :) i think the meaning of the name is interesting especially taking the whole "burning the city to the ground" thing of cyberpunk into consideration, and in a way it applies to vincent himself as well; though less of the "forcibly taking control" kind of conquering, and more of the "fears and worries" kind of conquering

v >> independence

this one is also interesting. obviously it's because of the game, but vincent decided to go by "v" because he did not actually get to pick his own name; his parents did for him after he came out as trans, and he hasn't really been able to pick something else himself so he introduces himself as "v" to be able to control who knows about his full name, and who doesn't

mayer >> "the name mayer is an occupational hereditary surname, a type of surname that was taken from a word describing or common to the profession of the original bearer. it is a name for a mayor, or elected head of the community"

gotta be honest with you chief i chose this one because i just thought it would go well with his first name LOL, it's interesting though because vincent is the protagonist of the whole story. doesn't necessarily have the same vibe as a mayor but there's something there. i can't really explain it you'll just have to feel the vibes

vitali >> "of life"

now this is the one that really makes me batshit insane. i personally picked it because i liked the sound of it and i'd been waiting for an oc to come along worthy enough to carry the name, but then at some point i ended up looking at its meaning and, well, thoughts spawned LOL when vitali was looking for a new name after coming out as trans, mikhail ended up suggesting this name for him; he would just throw random suggestions at vitali throughout the day to see which one stuck, and, well, this one did. mikhail thought it would be fitting because it marked a new chapter in vitali's life; and vitali agreed with him. though what mikhail never told him is that he also thought it would be fitting because to him, vitali radiates life; and in a way, back then, vitali was his life because they were just always together and mikhail could not imagine a life without him. and then they didn't see each other for six years so yeah. sorry about that it's also funny because he died that one time. "of life" my ass

dobrynin >> "good, kind"

yeah this one kills me dead. i only found out about this recently when i was looking into some stuff and i think i ascended. unfortunately can't elaborate at the moment but you'll know when you know LMFAO

mikhail >> "who is like god"

fought for my life to come up with this one, nearly named him "ilya" instead <3 mostly just picked it because i liked the sound of it and it fits his face i think?? can't explain that one but just trust me LMFAO its meaning is also interesting because some sources write it like this, and others add a question mark at the end and!! well!! i'm thinking about it!!! of all three of these men, mikhail would be the last to develop a god complex or just any kind of parallel with god which makes it even more insane to think about if god is meant to be unconditional love and forgiveness, then yes, mikhail is like god. but at the same time, with the amount of pain and misery in the world- with the amount of violence mikhail still partakes in in his line of work- i can understand why some would want to add a question mark to this

koshechkin >> from what i could find, something along the lines of "small/cute kitten"

yeah this one's also funny because i usually don't really look at meanings i just go by whether it sounds right or not and this is one of those cases LMFAO when i learned about it for 5 seconds i considered changing his last name but i didn't. i think it's funny. it suits him

[zakomoya]

C!Dream: Vivid Theatrics, Dull Character

Some Disclaimers:

All of this is good faith criticism. I fucking love the Dream SMP to death, and analyzing shit to death is how I enjoy consuming it. 

I am in no way shaming people who like c!Dream. A character can have writing flaws and still be enjoyable in other ways.

With that being said, here we go. Something I’ve worked on for the past couple of days is finally being posted. Special thanks to my IRL friend Ilya (AKA whiteflu or oraclesyndromes) for their massive contributions to the whole thing.

The Intro

In the Dream SMP fandom space, plenty of the characters within the SMP have been analyzed thoroughly, with their motives, actions and behaviour being taken apart and judged. However, c!Dream gets close to none of this treatment, as compared to say, c!Technoblade or c! Tommy, which is quite odd, seeing as he is one of the main driving forces of the story. This is most likely because Dream is not as characterized as the others. His character had lots of potential on paper, but flopped in its execution. He’s not only an evil character, but a flat one. In this post, I will be criticizing c!Dream’s character, as well as suggest possible additions to his lore to flesh him out. 

The Flaws

First things first, while Dream is a terrifying villain, he is most definitely not a complex one. Now you might argue that Schlatt wasn’t a complex villain too, but that can be considered excusable as Season 1 was simpler and more lighthearted. At that point in time, the writing was more comedic in tone, with the immoral actions of the characters mostly being played for laughs. While it did have serious moments, especially in the latter half, it mostly retained that tone until the season finale. However, Season 2 onwards was heavier and more complex, with the effects of the characters’ actions in Season 1 on theirs and other people’s psyche being deeply explored. Because of that, it would be ideal for it to have a more complex and emotional villain to give the story its emotional and narrative weight that holds until the end. Otherwise, the villain would seem standoffish compared to the rest of the story at best, or completely damage the tone and meaning of the story at worst. The only depth you could glean from c!Dream right now makes assumptions based on fanon and pre-existing relationships outside of the SMP. C!Dream as a villain is easy to understand, but because there is next to no information on his motivations and mindset, even attempting to understand him is basically pointless.

Second, there was no good reason for c!Dream’s dickery to just be directed towards c!Tommy all, if not most of the time. If c!Dream’s desire for a lack of attachments was that strong, wouldn’t he try to be as rude (or apathetic) as possible towards literally everyone he meets in order to prevent attachments from happening? Shouldn’t there be more evidence pointing to a number of his interactions as an attempt at manipulation? C!Dream’s several instances of talking down on c!Tubbo not have that much impact because it wasn’t at the same scale and/or frequency as c!Dream’s dickery towards c!Tommy.

Lastly, c!Dream being shown as just an unsympathetic villainous character greatly harms his and c!Tommy's narrative because there's no apparent ideological conflict, making it thematically meaningless. Tommy had the belief that attachments were good and that, while they may hurt, they can also help, and completely cutting yourself off from them will do nothing but isolate and hurt you. What reasons/justifications did Dream have to believe that attachments were bad, to the point of him cutting all of his off? This makes the Exile Arc, which was good in terms of acting, meaningless and unsatisfying by proxy. It was torture, but for the sake of what? What was the thematic meaning for its inclusion? It did change Tommy, but for what? What does that change lend to the thematic resolution of this season? And sure! There was a recurring theme of “fighting fire with fire solves nothing”, but this could have been done while still giving it a different core moral. The idea that attachments bring harm to one’s self is actually a really good theme that I would’ve loved to have seen in full play. However, due to the overall writing and pacing of Season 2, this theme was completely shoehorned in at the end, with only meager, satisfying hints to what Dream’s reasoning was. There was also no reason presented for why he started thinking like that, leading to a finale that, while cathartic, was thematically unfulfilling.

The Rewrite

Now that the criticisms are out of the way, here are possible additions/rewrites that could be done to flesh out his character a bit more.

First, have c!Dream genuinely believe that attachments corrupt people, and make that belief strengthen over time. The seeds for this belief would first sow in c!Dream’s mind after seeing post-exile c!Wilbur. He witnessed c!Wilbur’s corruption and how it happened because of his attachments. C!Wilbur experienced the emotional turmoil of losing L’manberg (something he’s worked hard to get independence for) as well as people who he thought were his allies (even though that betrayal/abandonment was part of a double agent scheme). This led him to give up on L’manberg. C!Dream’s belief steadily grows from that point until the belief is solidified when he sees how the discs (directly or indirectly) strained c!Tubbo and c!Tommy’s friendship. This belief can clash with c!Tommy’s (initial) belief that, no matter the pain they cause, attachments are important, as while they make you weak, they also make you strong.

Dream’s belief existing is understandable, given what he’s witnessed, and it's even grounded in some sense of rationality, but he’s still a morally reprehensible character due but how he acts on that belief. The presence of that groundedness can also provide c!Tommy a chance to develop, and take a good portion of c!Dream’s belief, transforming “Attachments are good and the pain is worth it! Completely sacrificing every attachment you have only fucks you up in the long run” to “Attachments are good, and while the pain is worth it, there are times where sacrifices must be done in order to keep the more important attachments safe. Completely sacrificing every attachment you have only fucks you up in the long run.”

Lastly, have Dream be a dick (or at least apathetic) to everyone and/or have his manipulation be apparent, even if it’s not coming from the character’s perspective. This adds even more justification to the Disc War Finale team-up, as most, if not all of the characters there have at least a reason to go against c!Dream. This also makes the prison visits hit even harder, as Dream sees the consequences of his actions. He’s in solitary confinement for God knows how long, his power and control lost, and his friendships strained, with the only one to blame being himself.

The Conclusion

In conclusion, c!Dream is a textbook case of wasted potential. Giving more complexity to his character would make Season 2 onwards hit harder. If he were a Season 1 villain, his shallowness would’ve been more excusable, provided he was also entertaining to watch. However, after Season 1, there was this push to level up one’s theatrics and character. Unfortunately, while c!Dream had the first, he lacked the second.

[roominthecastle]

So you really think that Red is Illya? I got the feeling that Dom outright lied to Liz. This lovesick puppy act since childhood really doesn't fit, imo. It's like Red feels guilty about using Katarina to accomplish his own ends. He respected and was attracted to her (similar to Samar) but I don't think he ever truly loved her. I don't think he is Illya at all, but one who (like the real Red) got scapegoated for something Katarina did, lost his fam, and so used her & her childhood friend Illya.

Yes, for now I remain convinced that Ilya == our Red. And the “lovesick puppy act” fits, imo, but I do share your views on the rest + I got another message that ties into this nicely, so more on all of this behind the compulsory cut bc yes, it’s long again:

Everything that’s been hinted about Red’s past over the years (took on RR’s identity, was close to Katarina, knows Dom quite well, “difficult child”, Russian mother, well-versed in tradecraft, etc.) fits Ilya, so why would Ilya be a random third person in an episode that draws on all these clues to reveal another layer of our Red? If our Red was someone else who used Kat & Ilya, then why didn’t we see at least a firm hint of him doing that? This would have been the time to intro him given that we are ~6 years in now w/ one, maybe 2 more years to go.

I agree that what Dom told Liz is not the whole story (and the missing parts are gonna end up producing a much darker and less flattering picture when they are revealed) but the broad strokes are true, imo. If this whole ep is a lie, then this whole ep was kinda pointless to show us bc if Ilya is not our Red, then we see nothing of our Red in the very episode that is meant to provide us w/ a glimpse into his past and his ties to Kat and Dom.

I know many fans have issues w/ Ilya for various reasons (mostly for two, 1. he is not related to Liz at all and 2. he had feelings for Kat at some point) but I think Gabriel did an excellent job and his Ilya fits the bill for me:

Ilya is our Red ~30 years ago from Dom’s (forgiving/sugarcoated) perspective

3 decades – esp those 3 that Red has lived through – do change ppl, so Ilya having traces of the man we know today but not his fully developed persona and “code of conduct” is how it should be

“lovesick puppy” is what our Red is around Liz, too. he often embodies the “Dulcinea Effect” trope, too, and, generally speaking, he has problems managing emotional attachments (despite excelling at business relationships), so it makes sense to me that it’s already present in Ilya and the way he acts around Kat.

and Dom flat out lying to Liz is… why? he has nothing to gain by lying and everything to lose if Liz finds out that yet. another. dude. lied. to her face. That’s exactly why Red landed in prison, too, so pissing Liz off is really not the way to go.

There could be something to the manipulation angle, tho. I have another ask about this, too:

Red is a first-class manipulator w/ attachment management issues, so any question that begins with “is it possible he manipulated…” gets a yes from me, anon #2. He loves Liz, he is willing to die for her every time they run out of options, but love also doesn’t prevent him from pushing his secret agenda and using her to further it w/o letting her in on what it is exactly that he’s doing and why. This duality (fiercely protecting her while also carrying out a secret, death-magnet mission) is their “conflict engine” and is understandably a major issue for Liz. This behavior is what finally drives Dembe away, too, imo. He already warned Red in S4: “People are dying all around you.” Mr. Kaplan also kept telling him that he must change. Dom has the exact same complaint about his dogged and dangerous behavior. Everybody who knows him well seems to agree on this one thing.

So I think it’s entirely possible Red/Ilya did the same dance w/ Kat, as well. He genuinely cared for her but he also had his own agenda when he took on Reddington’s identity, one we don’t fully know yet, one that likely got her killed, one that Dom is still struggling to forgive him for. This whole thing was Ilya/Red’s idea and once he came up w/ it, he didn’t let go until he convinced Kat to go along w/ it.

“Rassvet” overshadows its lead-in episode but we get a quality build-up for this in 618 when Dom is all up in Red’s grill again:

Dom: *gestures at the cooler*Red: Thank you.Dom: Might as well offer. You’d take one whether I wantedyou to or not.Red: A beer?Dom: A beer. A life. You do what you want, no matter what Ithink.Red: Which you find unforgivable.Dom: You want to know what I find unforgivable? You notseeing how forgiving I am.Red: You forgiving? You forgave Katarina. But not me.

if we add to this bits from previous conversations like

“It was a Hobson’s choice. There was a woman and her child. Both were doomed. Both would die. I could either saveone or lose both. I chosethe child. It was… it was the worstthing I’ve ever had to do in my life. Worst thing by far. […] I was arrogant.” - Red, 319

“She’s gone because of choices you made for both of them. First Katarina andthen Masha. As far asI’m concerned, you killed myentire family!” - Dom, 320

Red: She deceivedme, faked herown death. At thetime, she wanted to getaway from me.Dom: Ha! Well, so do I.Red: I know you’ve been conditioned to assume my selfishness. I’m sure that’slargely my fault. You don’thave to believe me or help meor like me. You neverhave. I don’t know whyyou’d have to start now.But this isn’t about me, Dom. This is about Masha. If I don’t come back–Dom: You always come back!Red: If I don’t come back, you need to find her, Dom. Tell her who you are. I have to go. I’m sorry.Dom: For what?Red: All of it. I wish I’d been the person you wanted me to be.

“I’m not sure Elizabeth will ever be ready to learn about what you did to Katarina.” - Dembe, 422

it certainly reveals how Dom’s “Rassvet” story is incomplete and depicts Ilya/Red more like the person he wanted him to be and less like the one he actually was/is. If Ilya/Red purposefully neglected to inform Kat about what it was exactly that he intended to do w/ Reddington’s identity and it was too late to back out once they started, if he was playing his signature “I’m telling you a truth but I’m never telling you everything” game already, then Dom’s behavior makes sense: he believes Kat had no real choice since she was not aware what she was walking into when she agreed to Ilya/Red’s plan and this got her killed. Ilya/Red’s mission is an inherently noble one but not even inherently noble ends justify every means.

And then the exact same thing happened when Ilya/Red showed up in Liz’s life w/ his blacklist, telling her “I wanna help you. That’s why I am here.” when his motivations were far more complex and calculated from the start, and Liz is still not fully grasping them. But she is already questioning why he kept the fake identity, which is truly the key to everything. Dom’s story might not have been entirely faithful to reality, but while Liz previously had no handle on the million questions strategically obscuring Red from full view – so she had no real chance to unmask him –, now her attention is focused on the one question that can lead her straight to the truth. Dom – unintentionally or not – gave her a shortcut. Red knows what this means and he is scared.

I think what we ultimately have here is a conflict of true love and calculated/manipulative behavior that’s wrapped together to serve a semi-obscured mission motivated by a semi-obscured past. With Liz, Red has a second chance, a chance to right things he did wrong with Katarina -- but only if he is willing to adjust his behavior and start treating her as a real partner.

[otg2012]

Summary:  Stiles talks to Kane about Jackson's behaviour after they found out about Ilya's disability.

Author’s Notes: This is part 94 of my series “All I Saw Was You”. Feedback and kudos are always a great thing.

“Stiles, hi,” Kane says when Stiles enters his office, closing the door behind him. “Are you looking for Jackson?”

“No, I know he’s in court this morning, that’s why I came.”

“Shouldn’t you be with the baby?”

“Ilya is with his grandparents for the day, and I wanted to talk to you. I need to talk to somebody and I can’t talk to my father or to my mother-in-law because I’m afraid that it would only make things worse with Jackson.”

“Make things worse? What things?”

“Come on… You’ve seen him. You must have seen that he’s not himself… You must--”

“Hold on. Since he’s been back, I’ve barely talked to him at work. I only saw him at that meeting where you told us what was going on with Ilya… but since then… I don’t know, maybe he’s been avoiding me?” It makes sense, now that he stops to think about it.

“Of course, he’s been avoiding you.”

“Why, what’s going on?” Kane frowns.

“What do you think?” Stiles waves both arms.

“Why don’t you take a seat?” Kane says, pointing to the armchair on the other side of the desk.

“Fine,” Stiles agrees reluctantly. “I know that when we agreed to have another baby I said I’d stop working and I’d stay at home when he was born so that Jackson could go back to work, and really, I understand why we said that. And now I’m studying for the exam and I’m at home, and hell, I get to look after Ilya most of the day which I love but…” Stiles stays silent as he tries to order his thoughts.

“But what?” Kane frowns.

“He went back to work almost at the same time we found out about Ilya’s problem and things have been different since then. He’s different.”

“Different how?”

Stiles snorts. “I don’t even know where to start. It’s just… he was so happy after we got together… You know what I mean...” Stiles doesn’t think he needs to actually say it and Kane nods which is a relief.

“And you saw him… after Ilya was born, he was over the moon because the baby was fine and he finally could have his body back. I’ve never seen him happier. But then, since Ilya was diagnosed… like I said, he’s changed. And I’ve tried to be understanding but it’s been three weeks, and shit, this is hard for me too. He should know that, right?”

“Have you told him that?”

“Do I really need to? For god’s sake, he’s my mate! Isn’t he supposed to feel how I feel because I certainly do. I know what he’s going through. I know that he feels like he failed somehow. Like what has happened is his fault, and he’s at home and he looks at him and he’s reminded of that, and do you have any idea how much that breaks my heart? That’s why he couldn’t wait to get back to work.”

“Yes, that totally sounds like him. Work has always been his safe place. He loves to prove he’s the best at what he does, and I guess he needs to prove that to himself again. You don’t have to be a genius to see what he’s doing.”

“Yeah, it’s unbelievable. Just the fact that he needs to prove anything at this point makes me what to… shit! I don’t know…”

“I know exactly what you mean… I’ve been there a few times myself.” Kane smirks. “But I’m sorry to say this: he’s never gonna change. It’s in his bones… it’s the way he thinks. When the accident happened he couldn’t stop thinking about all the reasons he was the one to blame and now he’s doing exactly the same. You’ve got the pattern right there… But whatever he’s doing, it has nothing to do with his feelings for you or Ilya--”

“I know. I know he loves him, he loves him so much that he can’t bear the thought of being responsible for his disability but it’s not only affecting him, it’s also affecting both of us, our relationship. And like I said, I don’t understand how this isn’t affecting his wolf…”

“What do you mean?” Kane frowns.

“I mean that we hugged after we got the results at the hospital and he hasn’t touched me or you know…” Stiles waves his right hand. “Since then, and that was three weeks ago… almost a month. What the hell is going on with his wolf? Doesn’t he miss me? I don’t get it.”

Because hell, Stiles misses him. He misses his touch and the closeness they had, it’s a really strange feeling. He’s never felt this way before and that has to be the reason why it feels so scary.

“And you are asking me?” Kane raises his eyebrows. “Shouldn’t you talk to my husband about that?”

Stiles snorts a laugh. “Are you kidding? Things are complicated enough without getting him involved. If Jackson found out I talked to him about this, I’d never hear the end of it… so, no, that’s out of the question. There has to be another way to figure this out.”

“Do you realize that you’re trying to find some logic in something that doesn’t really have a rational explanation? Yes, he’s partially human but he’s also a supernatural creature, which I know it’s very easy to forget about sometimes. I mean, it happens to me all the time,” Kane says, waving his right arm. “But the relationship between him and his wolf is so complex… I don’t think you should bother trying to figure it out. Personally, I gave up trying a long time ago.”

“Yeah, well, you’re probably right, but it might be easier for you than for me. You don’t have a werewolf son to worry about as well.”

“Yes, that’s true.” Kane nods.

There is silence after that. Both of them are thinking about what the other just said.

“Look,” Kane finally says, “I’m no expert but I think that there could be a number of reasons to explain his wolf’s submission... or whatever you think his wolf is doing or not doing. For starters, I think he’s stronger since the accident. When you rejected him, he clearly learned to control his wolf in a way he had never done before. He had to tell him that he couldn’t have what he wanted anymore, and like I said, his human side got stronger. And at the same time, maybe… just maybe… there’s a part of him that might be ashamed if he feels responsible. Perhaps it’s his way of punishing himself if he feels like he doesn’t deserve you after what he’s done. But I mean, this is just a fucked up theory of mine. Who knows what’s really going on in his head. You’re supposed to know him better than I do.”

Yes, he’s sure that is how it was before he was in a coma, now he still feels like he’s catching up every day.

“Are you sure you’re a lawyer and not a psychologist?” Stiles smirks.

“No, no…” Kane shakes his head and bites his lip. “I have the degree to prove it. But maybe after being married to an alpha, I’ve actually learned something. And really, what Derek would tell you is to talk to him and that’s exactly what you have to do. Just be honest and tell Jackson how you feel. Don’t let him feel like he’s in control. You’re as much in control as he is and he needs to know that. Besides, Ilya needs both of you and if things aren’t good between you two--”

“Yeah. He needs to fucking accept it and move on.”

“Exactly,” Kane nods, “and remember, as long as I’ve known him, he’s never been able to say ‘no’ to you…”

Stiles wishes he could remember those times in the past. Maybe he’d feel more confident, but he doesn’t need to. He knows Jackson loves him and he knows he can do this.

“But you also need to be patient...”

Stiles snorts. “Patience has never been my strong suit… you know that, right?"

Kane looks at him in that way that is a little puzzling to Stiles before he finally speaks.

“Sorry. Sometimes I still forget. I mean…” Kane waves his left arm. ”About your amnesia… I think all those years you were apart, you changed. You matured, and being apart for so long because of college, you became more patient. Both of you, actually.”

“I wish that was something that had stayed with me… but, I’m telling you, being patient, that’s not me right now. And hell, maybe he’s forgotten too…”

“I wouldn’t be surprised if he had… but I think he’s just in his own world. I imagine he’s not thinking about how it is affecting you.”

“Yeah, he’s in Jackson mode alright,” Stiles nods.

Kane snorts a laugh but doesn’t say anything.

“Thanks,” Stiles says, getting up.

“Anytime.” Kane smiles.

Stiles heads to the door. “I’ll text you,” he adds before leaving.